New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-16
Lady Of the Castle.

Last of the mighty race OF Windeck,
famed for brave men and lovely wo.
men, was Adelheid, heiress OF the cas-
tie and broad lands that had been
owned by her ancestors, and, so far
as beauty went, she was worthy other
lineage, but of proud and naughty
temper. So proud was she that
among all the mobiles of Brisgan she
could find none whom she thought
worthy to call her lord.
Among those whom she had, after
her fashion, first attached to her by
every art, and afterward repelled with
bitter derision, was a young man OF
noble family, but slender fortune, who
had long been in her service as page
and squire, as the fashion of those
days demanded.
After years OF patient waiting and
nope the youth ventured to declare
himself, and was received bv the lady
with storm of sarcasms that literal
~ overwhelmed him. Stung to the
heart by hard speeches, and by the
sense OF his own folly and presump-
ton, which suddenly poured upon him
like flood, he left his MISTRESS pres.
ence only to write word of farewell
to bis mother, whose only son he was,
and whom he tenderly loved, then
threw himself into the Rhine.
A few days afterward g. woman,
maddened with rage and sorrow, a
widow whose only son had died a
suicides death, sought the Lady
Adelheld IN her castle on the mill, &C
cused her OF being the murderer of her
boy, and heaped upon her head the
bltterest curses that her outraged
mother-heart could devise or her
Woman's tongue utter.
"Unloved you shall live," she cried,
land unregretted die. Even in the
grave you shall find no peace, even
there my revenge shall follow YOU,
and send you forth to wander, a
restless, miserable ghost forever!''
"Ah!' cried the lady Adelheid. with
white face and scared eyes, all their
haughtiness flown, "do not utter such
terrible words! Have you no mercy?"
The wretched mother smiled grimly.
Yes, l will have mercy" she said.
'"Thus shall your spirit wander through
these very halls until you find lover
as true, as honest, as pure hearted as
my poor, lost son, willing to WOO the
phantom of his bride. Then only
shall you rest in peace"
Under this curse, says the legend.
the lady of Windeck lived and died.
She was the last of her race, and not
many years after her death the
castle, uninhabited and deserted,
fell into ruins. Its new owners, had,
indeed made many attempts to in
habit it, but had been absolutely driv-
en- out of the place by the unearthly
sounds which disturbed the Stiffness
OF the night, and which scarcely al
lowed living soul in the building SO
much as to close all eye from midnight
to cock-crow. Doors would open and
shut mysteriously, footsteps resound
through silent corridors, lights, illu-
mined by no visible hand, suddenly
burn in the windows, while every mir
ror in the house reflected the shadowy
form OF a. woman clothed in white,
with long black hair hanging below
her shoulders, would be seen-disap-
pearing in one place only to
appear the next moment in another.
1t happened, however, that one day
ayoung hunter OF noble family, Kurt
Won Stein by name, a stranger guest
in one of the neighboring castles, was
led, in the excitement OF the chase, up
to the very gate OF the deserted man
sion. The deer which he was pursuing
rushed by him into the very ruins, as
though it were taking sanctuary. Aft
er a while the idea occurred to the
young man'that he might as we'll pay
his respects'to the owner Of it, wheth-
er she was q phantom or not. So he
made his way up the staircase and
knocked at a door which was at the
top of it. The door opened noiseless-
ly. as though by an unseen hand, and
admitted him into a. long corridor,
lighted, and ad dorned with white mar
BILE statues. Next he came into a
great hall, on the walls of which hung
a faumber of antique portraits, which
In the center of the apartment was a
table spreadtas if for supper. He sat
quietly down;a one end of the table,
which was laid for two persons.
Scarcely had he done so when the
door of:the room opened noiselessly,
and ailady young and beautiful, but
with g. somewhat sad and pale face
entened the room. - =
KUrt rose and at once began to
make'apologies for his understandable
intrusion. The lady waved q white
hand toward him and bade him be
seated.
"Say no more, she said, in sweet,
sad Voice. Il expected YOU"
There was evidently some mistake
here, Thought Kurt, but as the mis-
take seemed tomean a good supper,
Re was mot unwilling to fall into it.
He at once took seatat the table,
and the lady took hers opposite him.
She WAS 'certaanly beautiful, he
thought, as he locked again at her
over the bhmming wine cup. The
wine, too, was excellent; so was the
whole ra7aaStx- a f. VIII irb + bo; ]S Il :, MO r.